Magpie vs Magpie

[alias_sqbr]

Magpie vs Magpie

HOW DID I NOT REALISE THIS?

I guess it explains why european literature portrays them as adorable cheeky thieves rather than violent unexpected death from above...(It really is true: in Australia, even the adorable little birds are deadly)

Comments

[evil-megz.livejournal.com]

Hey I didn't know that either :)

Though I'm not sure I ever have really noticed the term magpie used outside the Australian context (I'm sure I've seen it used, but never realised it's non-Aussieness at the time)

I don't see what all the fuss is about really. I see our maggies as adorable cheeky thieves and have never had one swoop at me as any more than vague scare tactics I'm able to ignore.

[alias_sqbr]

I was perhaps indulging in a little hyperbole :)

[nicholii.livejournal.com]

I am struck by my own subjective bias. There are a lot of things that I guess I arrogantly expect "everyone who isn't ignorant" to know. I suppose it betrays a certain elitism in me.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Check out the funky Asian Magpies. They come in blues and greens and chevron patterns! (and come from various genuses/genii)

I love the Latin name for the European Magpie - Pica pica.

[kitsune-iii.livejournal.com]

In parts of Australia, there are birds called Currawongs that look just like magpies. They are extremely vicious during the mating season. As a kid, I had one sit on my glasses and peck me in the eye. At that stage, its' not cute anymore.

[goth-grrl.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, the european magpie is a kind of jay. That does make more sense.

And if you think nesting magpies are bad, you should try bloody willy wagtails. (OK they may be tiny, but they make up for it in temper!)

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Wow, I didn't know that either! Thanks for the heads up!

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Currawongs are closely related to Magpies. Hence their similarities. :)

[bunny-m.livejournal.com]

(OK they may be tiny, but they make up for it in temper!)

Yeah, but they are *so* cute when they are pissed off! =)

[nixwilliams.livejournal.com]

i knew this! but omg, magpies are one of my favourite australian birds. they are so gorgeous, handsome, powerful, and they sound amazing!

[lizbyrd.livejournal.com]

I remember specifically Googling about this, for pretty much those reasons (it just didn't make sense!), but it was only in the last few years.

magpies

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

I started with the European magpie and switched to the Aussie one, so I know the difference. The people who think swooping is innocuous clearly haven't had blood drawn, or a magpie persistently following and swooping for several hundred meters.

I have this T-shirt, a orangey-brown colour obviously close enough to red to aggravate them, with a life-size goanna print. The magpies recognise the goanna, I believe. Because I mean, other people were standing around not getting swooped and watching it attack me. So now I put the T-shirt (and all my other red clothes) away every spring.

(The red thing was tested by a statistician at a picnic, with two approaches wearing a white T-shirt and two approaches wearing his red jacket, in addition to all the data we collected as people arrived at the picnic site :-) )

[danamaree.livejournal.com]

Yep, and our crows are different as well. I like our magpies, they have attitude, and they kept me fit when I had to ride to school (very, very, very fast).

(plus their singing is delightful).

[alias_sqbr]

Oh me too, though obviously this isn't one of them.

The really embarrassing thing is I used to teach general science :/ (Not that Scitech does a lot of natural history)

[alias_sqbr]

So Pikachu is a magpie? :)

[alias_sqbr]

Oh I was in constant terror of magpies as a kid, and I've never been hurt by one.

[alias_sqbr]

I'm with bunny_m :)

[alias_sqbr]

Happy to help!

[alias_sqbr]

I admire them but think they're kind of scary up close :)

[alias_sqbr]

Well you're more observant than me, I needed it explicitly stated :)

Re: magpies

[alias_sqbr]

Ha, now I'm imagining this conversation:

Statistician: Put on this red shirt.
Guest: Why?
Statistician: For science!
Guest: Ok. So what will..ARGH ARH GET THIS MAGPIE OFF ME OH GOD SOMEBODY MAKE IT STOP
Statistician: Awesome. Now to collect more evidence. You! Put on this red shirt!

[alias_sqbr]

they kept me fit when I had to ride to school

That's a much more upbeat take on it than I had as a child :)

[goth-grrl.livejournal.com]

That's the problem! Swatting a magpie out of the air never bothered me, but I'm not capable of hurting a wagtail. Even when the little sods are sitting in my hair pecking me.

[alias_sqbr]

Heh. That reminds me of this one time, back in highschool, when my then 6 year old cousin and his friends cornered me and started pulling my tie, and I just stood there flailing because I couldn't see any way to get free without hurting them. And calling for help would have just been embarrassing. (Said cousin is now twice as tall and thankfully past the tie pulling phase :))